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Aus broadcasters court Mick Jagger for coverage
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of October, 2 Comments »
The Australian television company Channel 9 are in talks with Mick Jagger who, they hope, will make “cameo appearances” for their coverage of the forthcoming Ashes. Brilliant.
I am more a Beatles man than a Stoner - my mate is a huge Rolling Stones fan - so I’ve never been into his music much. But anyone who likes cricket as much as he does (apparently he requests live feeds of any cricket which is being played whenever he’s on tour) must be a damn fine fellow. Thinking of him commentating on the Ashes I’m reminded of that fabulous series Stella Street, a spoof show depicting a whole load of celebrities all living in the same street. These included Michael Caine, Des Lynam, Sting, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson and Jagger. And Phil Cornwell, one of the most underrated impersonators to have drawn breath, did a brilliant takeoff of Jagger. Get it, it’s superb.
I always enjoy hearing who will be commentating on the Ashes. It’s such a big deal for TV companies that they’re desperate to out-do eachother and steal a celebrity name. The only Australian I know of who Sky Sports have recruited is David Boon. Imagine Boon and Jagger…that could be fun. Boon, Jagger and Tony Greig would be even better!
2 Comments »Sweater Kittens at the cricket
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of October, 2 Comments »
Watching so much cricket, as we do, you quickly realise the differences between broadcasting companies around the world. BSkyB in Britain are, on the whole, very professional and slick - albeit a little too slick at times with constant references to the other programmes airing on Sky Sports 1-100…
South Africa’s production methods, on the other hand, are a different story entirely. It’s patently clear the cameramen have other things on their minds than cricket; several times during a session they’ll zoom in on the most attractive (or most naked) girl for a few seconds, before their director screams blue murder at them through their earpieces. Anyway. Enjoy the video below.
2 Comments »Mark Rumbakash
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of October, 7 Comments »
I should get a job with The Sun. I’m that good. If you haven’t deciphered my witty headline, then be reminded that Mark Ramprakash - former England cricketer, current Surrey bowling destroyer - is appearing on Strictly Come Dancing this evening. As the bloke who runs a site of the similar name to this blog often says, HOW GOOD IS THAT? Well Andy - and Mark - not very good, frankly. But it should be entertaining at least.
But enough of that, here’s a photo from sunny Salcombe
Ashes hype on TV in Australia
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of September, 15 Comments »
I suppose it’s understandable with just 62 days to go that Australia is revving itself up for the Ashes. What’s surprising is the nature of these adverts which put the Barmy Army right at the forefront; some might say they’re government propaganda to get Australia out to the Tests (yeah, like that’s gonna be tricky).
I don’t know…there’s just a sense that the England supporters really got to Australia last year and maybe they’re worried about the influx of t’Barmy Army again. Whatever. They’re a lot of fun.
15 Comments »Mark Ramprakash to appear on Strictly Come Dancing
By Will 2 years ago, mid-September, 3 Comments »
Oh dear God. As if 17,000 runs in a season isn’t enough to persuade David Graveney to select him (and it isn’t) it was confirmed today that Mark Ramprakash is to appear in the next series of Strictly Come Dancing. Didn’t he learn from Darren Gough?
Maybe Bruce Forsyth is a mole for the England selectors; perhaps they have Ramprakash on standby but are unconvinced by his feet movement…
Update: interview with Ramps at Cricinfo.
3 Comments »Soul Limbo for the Ashes
By Will 2 years ago, mid-September, 7 Comments »
Everyone’s missed the point about today’s news that the BBC will be airing highlights of this winter’s Ashes. Great, the population will be able to watch England reclaim the Ashes; they’ll gasp at Flintoff’s 322* from only 120 balls; a procession of anorak’d cricket tragics, with wonky glasses and a chewed HB pencil for company, will weep at the foot of the stairs of Television Centre, grateful to the Aunty for welcoming back cricket.
All of this is true.
But the real news, the aspect of most importance is we will once again hear the sound of Soul Limbo by Booker T and The MGs bink-tink-tinking over the airwaves. And for that, we should join the anoraks and raise a glass to Aunty because that tune, quite simply, is summer. Even though it’ll be winter, but you get my meaning.
7 Comments »World Cup on the BBC?
By Will 2 years ago, mid-July, 2 Comments »
I wasn’t aware the BBC were broadcasting next year’s World Cup but according to their blog, it’s true.
I really can’t wait for November; an entire winter of The Ashes followed by the World Cup. And then suddenly we’ll be back into the 2007 season! Madness.
2 Comments »TV won England the Ashes
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of July, 4 Comments »
TV revenue allowed England to win the Ashes. Discuss.
4 Comments »John Grogan (Selby, Labour)
Does my right hon. Friend share my concern that the lack of cricket coverage on free-to-air TV might have an adverse effect on the number of children who regularly play the sport?
Richard Caborn (Minister of State (Sport), Department for Culture, Media & Sport)
I can partially agree with that, but may I put on record my great appreciation of a legend of Yorkshire cricket, Freddie Trueman? I saw him at Bramall Lane with my dad when I was about 10 years old, and he is truly a legend, as Dickie Bird said on Saturday night.
On Sky television and terrestrial broadcasting of cricket, we must remember what was in the Select Committee report. Had it not been for all the investment of television money in cricket, I do not think that we would have won the Ashes, which was a great feat, or had the coaching programmes and central contracts that the England and Wales Cricket Board now has. One must pay credit to the ECB for the modernisation that it has gone through. It is can now choose a team that can take the Ashes—which that team did, and we wish it well over Christmas and the new year in Australia—and also get more young people under coaching in cricket than there have been for many years. Credit must go to the ECB for that, and the funding—whether we like it or not—has largely come through television revenues.
Bermuda Twenty20 World Classic TV highlights
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of June, 1 Comment »
There was a Twenty20 World Classic tournament in Bermuda in April, the highlights of which are to appear on Tuesday (June 27, 2006) on Channel Five (UK) at the ridiculous time of 1am.
Yeah, quite - I won’t be watching them either.
1 Comment »The clapping seal
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of June, 3 Comments »
Jenny, my colleage at Cricinfo, has had two rather good days in the past week. Firstly, during the final Test at Trent Bridge, she spent a day with David Gower, Nasser Hussain, Ian Botham and the other Sky commentators. Naturally she’s in love with every single one of them (our ears are bleeding) but they all sound like great fun (and they have a lot of fun, too). David Lloyd (”Bumble”) is as you would expect him to be: sharp, constantly witty and an allround top bloke. Anyway I can’t spoil her piece; she’s writing it up and it’ll be published at Cricinfo quite soon.
As if that couldn’t be topped, today she faced an over (I think) at Shane Warne! And interviewed him and other stuff. So that’s two fairly cool (and unique) things you should keep an eye out on Cricinfo.
3 Comments »Cricket on Channel Five
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of May, 15 Comments »
So, the first Test is upon us in a matter of days. This time tomorrow, Jon Lewis will be even less knowingly underbowled (probably); Sky will be wheeling out their trucks and TV monitors (and waking up Bob Willis from his slumber; “over rates. over rates. always the slow over rates”) and, more interestingly, Channel Five will become only the third terrestrial TV station in the UK to show cricket highlights.
Pleasingly, they’ve chosen a good spot - 7.15 pm. As good as Channel 4’s coverage was, they rather shot themselves in the foot with their highlights which were, frankly, dreadful. Half-an-hour of highlights is all very well, but not when the anchor man - Nicho! - speaks over most of the action. In a moment of particular boredom one day, I timed the actual cricket. There was 2 minutes of intros and over a minute at the end, not to mention the 2/3 minute advert-break in the middle. Worse still, they rarely stuck to one timeslot. It was sometimes on past midnight! Good one - yeah, that’ll draw the viewers in. The pervy freaks looking for soft porn must have got a shock when they heard the less-than-seductive tones of Simon Hughes talking about the lack of a fine leg or worse, pulling a bowler into the confectionary stand (and out again).
Anyway, Five have recruited The Great Nicho (Mark Nicholas), Sir Geoff (Geoff Boycott) and Mr Trucky himself (Simon Hughes). A fine team, that. In fact, so fine, I’m almost inclined to say it’s a shuper team, in honour of Richie Benaud who quite honestly deserves a post all to himself. This is the first summer since the Jurrassic era that Britons won’t have his quiet, understated musings in the background while they make their tea; pick up their shopping; shout at the kids or whatever. Worse still, we don’t get to hear Choo for Chwenty Choo again. Travesty upon travesty. Console yourselves.
Incidentally, don’t try saying his name if your moustache is wet. It has a tendancy to sound like the perfect chav-mobile for a chavette (Bitchy Renault). Stone the crows - why didn’t I think of that before? Someone get me Renault on the phone!
Anyway, the reason for this inane, banal stream of tripe - masquerading as a post - is Five just emailed me to say their site is now live. So go and look at it and tell them how wonderful you think it is, and also tell them what a wonderful blog this is and that you found their site because of the Corridor. And seeing as you’re being so generous, you might as well tell them how great you think I am (you can lie. In fact, please do).
The summer has begun. Incidentally, I went to the dogs on Friday (Wimbledon) - and what a brilliant night out it is. My mate had a bunch of coupons from the Racing Post so not only did we all get in free, we got a free pint to start proceedings and a free £2 bet. I’ll have some of that, oh yes. One of our crowd is particularly keen on the old gambling…not sure how much he won, but it was into the hundreds. Or so he told us…great night though. Masses to drink, masses of laughter, masses of shouting at dogs (and greyhounds) and “what colour’s number 3? what bloody colour is trap 3? Oh nevermind, that’ll be the dog at the back. At the back and on his back!”
Posting will be up on and off for a bit, as mentioned the other day. Scott’s around to keep it fresh and watered.
15 Comments »Bahhhhhhhhh bleat bahhhh
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of April, 9 Comments »
Oh the Sky Sports chaps are loving this, absolutely loving it. Hampshire have just beaten Ireland, and they can’t stop inferring that they’re all going to get pissed on Guinness. I don’t doubt they will, but SHUT UP about it.
After [whoever] got the Man-of-the-Match award, they said “Ooh, err, I don’t think there will be many clear heads tomorrow morning; Champagne and Guinness. Not the best mixture.” Well fuck me dead. Aren’t you insightful. No, it’s not a good mixture, and nor is the current crop of Sky Sports presenters.
I have no problem with any of them as people. They’re all thoroughly decent and were/are fine cricketers. I just wish they wouldn’t state the bleeding obvious - something I felt Channel 4 got spot on. They had a duty to provide a balance between teaching the game to newcomers (roadshows) and not patronising the longterm fans (us). Sky are all about glitz, glamour and shoving the blatant down our throats. It’s especially hard so early in the season, because it makes me want to eat my feet and stick a pen up my nose, ala Blackadder on the right.
Channel 4 got it so right. It’s now all so wrong, not to mention a total injustice that a large slice of the population will simply not see any cricket on TV for the next few years.
9 Comments »Shane Warne joins Neighbours
By Will 2 years ago, at the start of March, No Comments; be the first!
Shane Warne makes his debut in Neighbours tomorrow. Yep. Nothing more to add. Although it does beg the question: which cricketers, past and present, would have appeared in which soap or TV programme and why?
- Bob Willis - Dr Who (without the genius)
- John Emburey - Arthur Daley (Minder - but a more explicit, “Fackin’ ell Terry, get wiv it you nonce” version)
- Graeme Fowler - Pike from Dad’s Army
England in a state
By Will 2 years ago, at the end of February, 2 Comments »
Crikey, England are already in a bit of a mess. Vaughan’s wonky knee is giving him trouble, and Pietersen’s fallen over. The spinners have Delhi-belly - or Baroda Belly might be more accurate - and it’s all looking a bit rubbish.
Meanwhile, the Times reckon Sky will be offered rights by Nimbus, so we won’t have to endure listening to it on TMS (which actually I wouldn’t mind, were it now not my job to write about cricket).
Can’t blog for a bit. Hopefully Scott will resume duties soonish and Gideon might be posting something soon too.
2 Comments »BBC secure radio rights
By Will 2 years ago, mid-February, 4 Comments »
The BBC have secured radio rights in India for four years, which is a welcome relief to those who enjoy Test Match Special. The deal allows them to broadcast England’s current tour of India, and other international teams who visit, over the next four years. Sky, meanwhile, are being shafted by Nimbus, who paid an astonishing amount of money (over $600m) for exclusive rights to broadcast cricket on TV in India.
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